Tribal Cultures and Change (An Old and Rare Book)

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The tribal society of India has been, of late, undergoing a vast transformation. The nature of acculturative influence and degree of change have varied depending upon numerous factors including extent of exposure to alien conditions. This book chiefly aims at analysing and interpreting the diverse aspects of tribal social structure in the context of change, on the one hand, and in respect of continuity on the other. The positive as well as the negative impacts, on the life and culture of the tribals, of fastgrown culture contact and acculturation are discussed in specific tribal situations. The direction in which the contemporary tribal society is heading, and the concerned ongoing and underlying processes have been studied with a view to delineate certain issues of immediate concern to applied social anthropologists and sociologists, as also to others who are en- gaged in reshaping the destiny of tribals in terms of development.

Of vital importance are some specific problems, concerning tribal life and culture, which have been highlighted for action-oriented agents of change. Barring those housed in traditionality, the rest of these problems crystalised as part of transitional phase, especially attributing to non-directed efforts of change.

Though the account provides mapping of status-quo and change only in a few micro tribal settings, the emanating issues are no less applicable to macrocosmic tribal scene.

Dr. R. S. Mann (b. 1936) is a scholar of repute in social anthropology and sociology. An alumnus of Delhi University, Dr. Mann was devoted to research and teaching for over two and a half decades. He has conducted and guided research on tribal as well as the non-tribal com- munities, some of whom inhabit the remotest localities of the Indian sub- continent. Dr. Mann has published 9 books incorporating the results of his research in these fields to his credit. Currently he is serving as Joint Director in Anthropological Survey of India.

Dr. (Mrs.) K. Mann (b. 1942) is a sociologist devoted to the study of tribal women. She obtained her M. A. and Ph. D. degrees in sociology from Rajas- than University, Jaipur and Sukhadia University, Udaipur respectively. Her field of specialised research is the tribes of western and north-east India. Her book titled as Tribal Women in a Changing Society, has widely been appreciated. In addition, she has fourteen papers published to her credit.

Every human society has culture and the same is reflected through various traits, patterns and complexes. On the one hand culture is characterized by its normative principles and on the other by their manifestations. The abstract constructs or forms are, however, intimately connected to empirical reality. The normative patterns do guide the life-styles in operation. But the two may or may not maintain parity in certain walks of life, though the traditional culture patterns for living do suggest for status quo and continuity of the designs for living. Change, for various reasons, is inevitable and the societies and their cultures have been changing, slow or fast, from time immemorial. So, continuity and change, as simultaneously ongoing features, have always been reported. And the same are reflected in various explanations given in this book in the context of tribal cultures. The culture, at conceptual level, has been defined in numerous ways by various culture specialists including anthropologists, culturologists, sociologists etc. Individually the definitions, many a times, certify divergence and focus variation. However, for the present purpose of understanding and explaining tribal cultures, an inclusive view of culture has been kept at the fore- front. Thus, culture, as dealt herewith, includes sociological, ideological and technological components. To explain Indian culture, the understanding of tribal cultures is absolutely essential. Indian sub-continent is well divided into tribal and non-tribal communities and the two have, in many cultural features, sharp distinctions. But they also, in many instances, support cultural sharing, continuity and inter-linkages. This makes all the more important to study and explain tribal cultures to get at the larger gamut of Indian culture. But since the number of tribes in India goes in hundreds, it may not be possible to account for all the cultures at one place. In this modest academic venture, the chief focus remains on the tribes and their cultures as reported in western India. But then the expression of certain cultural ways from north-west, north-east and south-west India is also provided for.

The contents of this book run into two distinct perspectives. One is formed of those tribes whose cultural explanations are more heavily dealt within the framework of holism. In other words their social organisation, economic structure, religious attributes, mechanism of social control etc., are more elaborately explained keeping in view interconnectedness of each aspect with the others. The other perspective is formed of studies and explanations of certain specialised aspects of tribal cultures. However, such aspects of micro nature are again analysed in the broader framework of other connected aspects. How certain new dimensions, incorporated during later years, have reacted to the traditional cultural matrix also finds mention in the text. In other words the explanations, provided in the book, do account for certain elements of cultural dynamics. Thus, the book, in general, throws open the tribal cultural heritage in terms of status quo as well as change. Also discussed, in certain chapters, is the accountability, in terms of barriers and stimulants to change, of traditional cultural heritage of certain tribes vis-a-vis intended programmes of change and development. Some of the interpretations, in this context, are revealing to the agents of change engaged in the task of planned transformation of tribal communities. The ethnographic revelations have their own worth in terms of knowledge.

The book runs into sixteen chapters dealing with the life and culture of various tribes. A few of these chapters originated out of the improved versions of already published papers of the authors. The rest are based on later field studies made by them. We hope this modest attempt may enlarge the arena of anthropological and sociological interest and knowledge.